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Step 3Putting in the dice steps on one side
The next thing to do is punch holes with pushpins where the dice steps go.
Lay the left side piece flat with a scrap piece of foamboard under the mark of where the top dice step goes.
Take a push pin and punch a hole inside the dice step marks. This hole needs to go all the way though the side piece, and that's why we have some scrap foamboard underneath. The marks for the dice steps should be a short and wide rectangle at an angle. You want the hole to be a bit in from the left/right edge (about 1/4") and centered in the smaller, up down sides. Once you have punched the hole on one side of the rectangle, punch it on the other, again a bit inside the edge. Then punch a hole in the middle. See the first picture for an illustration.
You want to do this for all the dice step marks on both sides, left and right. So each side has nine holes punched in it, three per dice step.
Now we need to line up the top dice step. Lay it flat on a piece of scrap 2x4. Then take the left side, turn it so the bottom is facing up, put that against the 2x4 and line up the mark for the top dice step with the dice step on the wood block. Make the two pieces, left side and top dice step, at a right angle. Line up the edge of the dice step with the mark on the side piece.
Holding the dice step and side piece in place with one hand (by pushing against the 2x4), take a push pin and push it though the existing hole in the side piece and into the edge of the dice step. This is putting holes in the edge of the dice step where we will use the toothpicks to give it strength. Leave the pushpin in, grab another, then do the next hole and then the next. So now the dice step is attached to the side piece with pushpins.
Do this for all the dice steps. So in the end you have 3 dice steps that have been lined with with the marks on the side piece and holes punched in the edge that line up with the existing holes in that side.
TIP: When putting in the dice steps, you want to be consistant on which side (up or down) the masking tape label is. This helps you keep track of which way the step goes when you glue it to the side piece. In my example, all masking tape labels are facing down.
Now for the toothpicks. Take 5 or 6 toothpicks and cut them in half with the wire cutters.
Take out all the pushpins from the left side and set aside the dice steps.
Grab the bottle of white glue and run a bead along the mark for the top dice step on the side piece. Grab the top dice step and run a bead on the side that has holes punched in it. Then take your small hobby brush and spread the glue out evenly on both pieces, trying not to have it overflow the marks on the side piece or the edge on the dice step.
Once both pieces have been glued up, take a toothpick half and push from the outside in on the dice step mark of the side piece. Push it in far enough that about 1/4" sticks out. Do this for all three holes on the side piece for the top dice step.
Once you have all 3 holes with toothpicks sticking out a bit, line up the dice step edge and it's holes in the end with the toothpicks. Push it flat into the side piece. So the glue joint is joined.
Taking each toothpick half sticking out of the side piece, push it in further into the edge of the dice step. This is what gives the tower it's strength - the edges are not just glued but also "pinned" with toothpicks. The foam in the dice step will give to the toothpick but has enough bite to make it a tight fit. You may have to rotate the toothpick halfs to have them go in easier.
I pushed the toothpicks in until about 3/8" was left poking out. YMMV on this, but you want it far enough in that the fatest part of the toothpick is into the edge of the dice step.
Push in all the toothpicks into the dice step. Then take your wire cutters and cut off any part still sticking out. This might leave a little nubbin of the toothpick still proud of the side piece - take the dice cutters again and using any flat part, push down and drive that last little bit into the dice step so the toothpick is flush with the side piece.
So now you have the top dice step pushed up hard and glued against the side piece, with toothpicks driven deep into it holding it in place. Excellent.
But the reward for work is more work, so we have to do this for the remaining two dice steps. Once all the dice steps have been glued and pinned and all toothpick ends have been flattened out, it's time to add the other side.
Lay the left side piece flat with a scrap piece of foamboard under the mark of where the top dice step goes.
Take a push pin and punch a hole inside the dice step marks. This hole needs to go all the way though the side piece, and that's why we have some scrap foamboard underneath. The marks for the dice steps should be a short and wide rectangle at an angle. You want the hole to be a bit in from the left/right edge (about 1/4") and centered in the smaller, up down sides. Once you have punched the hole on one side of the rectangle, punch it on the other, again a bit inside the edge. Then punch a hole in the middle. See the first picture for an illustration.
You want to do this for all the dice step marks on both sides, left and right. So each side has nine holes punched in it, three per dice step.
Now we need to line up the top dice step. Lay it flat on a piece of scrap 2x4. Then take the left side, turn it so the bottom is facing up, put that against the 2x4 and line up the mark for the top dice step with the dice step on the wood block. Make the two pieces, left side and top dice step, at a right angle. Line up the edge of the dice step with the mark on the side piece.
Holding the dice step and side piece in place with one hand (by pushing against the 2x4), take a push pin and push it though the existing hole in the side piece and into the edge of the dice step. This is putting holes in the edge of the dice step where we will use the toothpicks to give it strength. Leave the pushpin in, grab another, then do the next hole and then the next. So now the dice step is attached to the side piece with pushpins.
Do this for all the dice steps. So in the end you have 3 dice steps that have been lined with with the marks on the side piece and holes punched in the edge that line up with the existing holes in that side.
TIP: When putting in the dice steps, you want to be consistant on which side (up or down) the masking tape label is. This helps you keep track of which way the step goes when you glue it to the side piece. In my example, all masking tape labels are facing down.
Now for the toothpicks. Take 5 or 6 toothpicks and cut them in half with the wire cutters.
Take out all the pushpins from the left side and set aside the dice steps.
Grab the bottle of white glue and run a bead along the mark for the top dice step on the side piece. Grab the top dice step and run a bead on the side that has holes punched in it. Then take your small hobby brush and spread the glue out evenly on both pieces, trying not to have it overflow the marks on the side piece or the edge on the dice step.
Once both pieces have been glued up, take a toothpick half and push from the outside in on the dice step mark of the side piece. Push it in far enough that about 1/4" sticks out. Do this for all three holes on the side piece for the top dice step.
Once you have all 3 holes with toothpicks sticking out a bit, line up the dice step edge and it's holes in the end with the toothpicks. Push it flat into the side piece. So the glue joint is joined.
Taking each toothpick half sticking out of the side piece, push it in further into the edge of the dice step. This is what gives the tower it's strength - the edges are not just glued but also "pinned" with toothpicks. The foam in the dice step will give to the toothpick but has enough bite to make it a tight fit. You may have to rotate the toothpick halfs to have them go in easier.
I pushed the toothpicks in until about 3/8" was left poking out. YMMV on this, but you want it far enough in that the fatest part of the toothpick is into the edge of the dice step.
Push in all the toothpicks into the dice step. Then take your wire cutters and cut off any part still sticking out. This might leave a little nubbin of the toothpick still proud of the side piece - take the dice cutters again and using any flat part, push down and drive that last little bit into the dice step so the toothpick is flush with the side piece.
So now you have the top dice step pushed up hard and glued against the side piece, with toothpicks driven deep into it holding it in place. Excellent.
But the reward for work is more work, so we have to do this for the remaining two dice steps. Once all the dice steps have been glued and pinned and all toothpick ends have been flattened out, it's time to add the other side.
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Jan 11, 2009. 8:41 PMsowersk
says:
I agree with Bay. Whole toothpicks were easier to handle for my giant hands.
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Jan 1, 2008. 10:00 AMBaySpieler
says:
I found it easier to just push the toothpicks in whole rather than cut them in half. After pushing in the whole toothpick, cut them off with cutters later.
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